Explanation of the Qasida of Sheikh al-Islam Ahmad ibn Abdul-Halim ibn Taymiyyah

The explanation of the noble Sheikh, the scholar Dr. Abdullah bin Abdul Rahman Al-Jabreen, on the poem of Sheikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and prayers and peace be upon the noblest of messengers, our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and companions, all of them. After that: Today, we read verses that contain the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah, with brevity and conciseness. These verses are attributed to Sheikh Al-Islam Abu al-Abbas Ahmad bin Abdul-Halim bin Abdul-Salam, known as Ibn Taymiyah, Sheikh Al-Islam, and the flag of the distinguished guides, may Allah have mercy on him and grant him a noble resting place. These verses were not well known, and for this reason, Sheikh Abdul Rahman bin Al-Qasim did not include them in his collection of fatwas. Perhaps he did not confirm that they are from Sheikh Al-Islam, or that they are not from the fatwas that hold their due importance. There is no doubt that they contain a creed of significant importance, even if they are brief. They encompass the core creed of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah and contain the correct statement followed by the Imams of Islam from the Salaf of the Ummah and its Imams. It was confirmed as authentic by Sheikh Al-Islam, the scholar Muhammad Al-Ghnami—may Allah have mercy on him—and he printed it in his treatise titled: "The Sound Statement in the Creed of Monotheism," which was printed long ago. I read it perhaps fifty-five years ago or so. It was confirmed as being from Sheikh Al-Islam, and I also saw it written by one of our ancestors in old handwriting on a single page; however, he mentioned that these verses are attributed to Sheikh Al-Islam. There is no doubt that their fame indicates their significance and that they are among his compositions, may Allah have mercy on him. Additionally, some later scholars have explained it; Al-Mardawi explained it, and his explanation was published with verification. He confirmed that it is from Sheikh Al-Islam, which indicates its fame and importance. Nevertheless, the scholars of the Hanbali school in earlier times did not pay much attention to explaining it, nor did they focus on books of creed. Their efforts were mainly directed toward books of jurisprudence or the judgments they distinguished themselves with, because the matter of creed is not exclusive to a particular madhhab; rather, all the madhhabs share the same creed.